


Bad Reputation | NCT Fanfic

by arkiasan



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: F/M, Mafia NCT, NCT 2018, OT21 (NCT)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:22:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29643651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arkiasan/pseuds/arkiasan
Summary: Cobra attends Taeyong's birthday party with the goal of getting closer to Taeyong and gathering any information on him as she can. What Taeyong doesn't know is that she's actually an undercover DEA agent and he's a suspected drug lord.
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Reader, Qian Kun/Reader, Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun/Reader
Kudos: 2





	Bad Reputation | NCT Fanfic

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warnings (To Be Updated):
> 
> \- Talk of drug use  
> \- Gang violence
> 
> Disclaimers:
> 
> \- This story is pure fiction written for the purpose of entertainment  
> \- Most of the characters are real people except for a few (my created characters) I do not intend to make fun of or imply anything of anyone  
> \- I'm not a professional writer but I try my best and am proud of my writing style. Any critique and/or commentary is accepted and encouraged  
> \- I do not have a plan for the stories I write, I make it up as I go
> 
> Notes:
> 
> \- Will provide slow updates probably  
> \- May include bxb relationships, I don't know yet
> 
> DO NOT READ If this story isn't something you are interested in. Otherwise, enjoy <3

The sound of cheers and whistles flooded my ears as I let the sharp liquid taste of my wine flow through the back of my throat. With a gulp, I licked my lips and immediately a smile took place on my face. Looking around the room, I was surrounded by my coworkers and their plus ones. This party was being thrown in honor of Tashi’s promotion to lead investigator as well as congratulating her in solving the latest crime, one that’s been all over the news. The crowd chanted the words “Speech” repeatedly until Tashi, with fake reluctance, gave in.

“Alright, I suppose I should say something.” Tashi stopped to giggle. I took this moment to look her over. I’ve known Tashi for almost five years now, it seems amazing how much time changes things. Tashi was of average height for a woman, about 5’5” with beautiful pale skin and long dark black hair. In her late 30s, her wisdom and knowledge reflected in her eyes though her face gave no hint away. She looks like she could have been an actress. The idea is not far from reach considering her experience during undercover operations. A chuckle leaves my lips as Tashi moves to continue speaking.

“I’m extremely grateful for tonight and to have all of you here with me. I’ve known most of you for quite a long time now. We’ve all grown so much and gained so much experience both in the field and in the office. It's not often we get to go out and pretend as though there are no crimes happening out there; that makes tonight more special than it already is. There’s a few things we’re here to celebrate. Not only am I now the lead investigator of the DEA, we are also here to celebrate Yoo Hongjin’s retirement-” A pause for more cheers happened. “And the recent success in the arrest of drug lord Kang Dongju and his gang. I want to stress that none of this could have been possible without the help of my team and all others involved. I want to take a moment to applaud the work of everyone involved.”

Another round of cheers broke out as Tashi helped up her glass and looked around the room at each person. I returned the grin as I watched her eye gleam at the sight of me. As her right hand in command and senior field agent I was vital in the help of taking down Kang Dongju and his men, not to brag of course. Right after we closed that case, Yoo Hongjin who had been our boss announced his retirement and requested Tashi as his replacement. The request was quickly approved and a party was quickly organized. That’s how we got here.

“Remember to keep working hard, we’ve got cases to solve. Cases that will never run out. But remember why we dedicate our time to solving crimes. Remember why you became a federal agent. That’s what will keep you going.” Tashi stepped away happily as the last wave of cheers erupted from the crowd. I watched as she headed to the bar to refill her drink, watching as Hongju and the head director of the entire building Hyun Lin approached her. Normally, I would have been curious to know what they were talking about but considering the occasion, I figured the two just wanted to personally congratulate Tashi once more.

“Hey beautiful,” My lips twitched as I turned around to see the man who’s been in my life for as long as I can remember. “You seem to be bored and stalking everyone, so I have returned to cure you of your boredom.” Xiao Dejun chuckled as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a hug. We’ve been best friends for many years now and since I didn’t want to come here alone, I asked him to be my plus one. Even though he was supposed to stay by my side, he left to go talk to some rookie girls that were eyeing him.

“How were the girls? Did you get their numbers?” I joked, pretending to be a jealous date.

“What girls?” His head tilted as he feigned innocence. I rolled my eyes and pulled away, slapping his shoulder playfully.

“You’re hitting on me, how much have you had to drink?” I asked him.

“No, Chaehyul, I’m not drunk.” He sassed. After glaring at him for a minute he gave in. “Okay, maybe I had a few too many drinks. I had to impress the girls, they just kept drinking and drinking and-”

“Okay, I get it. Come on, grab your stuff. We’re going home. You can crash at my place.” I told him, pushing him away. With a groan, he walked away to gather his things.

I made sure to say my goodbyes to everyone before leaving. I had a hard time finding Tashi and decided to leave anyways, I’ll see her at the office tomorrow. Catching up with Xiaojun, I held out my palm.

“Keys, now. There’s no way I’m letting you drive in your current condition. You’ll kill us both.” I told him. He groaned and pulled his keys out of his pocket, dropping them in my hands.

“You drank too,” he whined.

“Not nearly as much as you, now let’s go.” I grabbed his arm and dragged him out the building towards the car. It’s a good thing he came to pick me up at my house in his car, it’d be a pain having to wake up early just to come back for my own car.

The drive home was surprisingly quiet, Xiaojun seemed to have fallen asleep in his drunken state. Feeling tired myself. I forced myself to stay awake and keep my eyes on the road. I’d never forgive myself if I accidentally got either of us killed.

___________________________

Carrying Xiaojun was out of the question, but I somehow managed to get him from the car, into the house and into the guest room I had with his arm wrapped around my neck while mine was wrapped around his waist.  
“Come on you big baby, you can’t possibly be asleep already.” I mumbled, placing him down on the bed as gently as I could. With a sigh, I brushed his hair away from his face, revealing his soft and peaceful sleeping face. “Thanks for coming with me tonight.”

I turned around to leave before I felt a hand grasp my wrist and tug at it so sharply, I stumbled back falling onto the bed. Shocked, my head tilted to look at Xiaojun who simply wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close. Nuzzling his nose into the crook of my neck, he whispered a word I wouldn’t have heard had I not been next to him.

“Stay…” He said. At a loss for words, I stuttered trying to figure out a response before I realized he had indeed fallen asleep.

What was he doing? I wondered. After all these years, and now my heart starts racing for him simply because of the close proximity. What am I doing? Am I really about to spend the night wrapped in Xiaojun’s arms?

Yawning, I realized it didn’t matter. We were both tired and Xiaojun would simply apologize and say it was a mistake in the morning and we’d forget it happened and go back to being friends. Friends cuddle right? I let my droopy eyes close and let my imagination take me elsewhere as sleep took over my body.

___________________________

Buzz. Buzz. Bu-

The sound of a phone ringing woke me up before I even realized. A yawn escaped my lips as I stretched my body in bed, glancing over to the digital clock on the nightstand. It was 6:10 am, 20 minutes before my alarm rang to signify its time to get ready for work. Before the call dropped, I grabbed my phone, letting my thumb slide across the screen to accept the call.

“Hello?” I cringed at the sound of my morning voice.

“Hey sleeping beauty,” Xiaojun’s voice sounded through the speaker. He sounded tired but still managed to sound as if he were in a good mood. Wait, Xiaojun was with me. Wasn’t he? I glanced around the room as I sat up with my phone in my hand.

“Xiaojun? Did you leave?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, I had to. Like you, I also have a job to attend so I had to go home to freshen up. I wanted to make sure you’d wake up on time to get ready to head back to the agency so I made sure to call you. Wouldn’t wanna be late to your first day with a new boss now, huh?” Even without seeing his face, I could practically hear the smile on his lips. How sweet, he had called to make sure I didn’t oversleep.

“That's very kind of you. Thanks to you, I’m up and will not be late for work.” I told him. I stood up, letting my bare feet connect with the cold floor. I was still in my dress from last night. I hadn’t taken off any of the makeup I had worn, which was no doubt smudged now. I grimaced at the thought of Xiaojun’s gaze looking at my dirtied face before he left.

“No problem, I am of course a gentleman.” He chuckled. “I want you to know, I much rather would have stayed sleeping with you in my arms but duty calls.” Even though I was still trying to shake off the sleepiness my body felt, I could feel the heat in my cheeks. Xiaojun wanted to stay sleeping? With me in his arms? That’s what he said.

“You’re a clingy drunk. Do you hold all the girls you sleep with like that?” I tried to brush it off, as I lightly patted my cheeks.

“No, just you princess.” My hand shot out to grasp the wall as I almost fell due to shock. What has gotten into him lately?

“You need to find yourself a girlfriend, your desperateness is killing me here.” I replied honestly. He stood quiet for a moment as if he were thinking about something.

“Actually, there’s something I wanna tell you. Can we meet up again?” He asked, sounding shy. He really didn’t sound like himself, which had me worried.

“Yeah, of course. I don’t have my day off until Tuesday, but I’ll let you know when I’m free.” I told him.

“I’ve waited too long already. Can we meet up sooner? Like tonight?” He asked, sounding really hopeful. He knew with the kind of job I had, there’s no guarantee when my shift will end. The desperation in his voice and the worry that was steadily growing in my heart got the best of me.

“You know I can’t guarantee I’ll be out by my scheduled end of shift but I’ll try. I’ll tell you when I’m out.” I responded.

“Okay, swing by my house. Don’t even go home, you don’t have to change. You always look beautiful just the way you are, even in your uniform.” A chuckle left his lips, making me smile. He sounded happy now. I wonder what was so important that he had to tell me. Could it really wait?

“Alright, I’ll be at your door ready to arrest you if needed.” We both laughed before we said our goodbyes and parted ways. Just as I hung up, the alarm on my phone rang in my hands. “Well, time to get ready for work.” With a sigh, I left the guest room to begin my day.

___________________________  
“Good morning, Chaehyul!” My coworker Nako greeted me as I entered our DEA office. I responded with a mirrored greeting as we walked together. “Did you hear? Apparently Tashi has some big news prepared for us!”

“Big news? What’s bigger than taking down Dongju and becoming the leading field agent?” It was definitely too early to be processing all this information. I sipped on my coffee as Nako began to blabber. She was too cheerful for a morning bird, but that made her unique I suppose. She was the newest recruit yet, making her a rookie compared to the rest of the agents on the team. Despite her only having been here for three months, she fit in easily and was a wave of fresh air to everyone here. I hoped the reality of the real world never changed her, but I knew better. It was only a matter of time.

Xu Nako was about 5’3” with pale skin and beautiful ginger hair. While her mother was Japanese, her deadbeat father was from Scotland. A strange combination, but a beautiful result. Even as tiny as she was, we’ve all quickly come to learn that she’s not the type to easily be pushed around. I liked that about her.

“Look! There she is now!” Nako’s voice broke my concentration as I looked up to see the woman who was now my new boss.

“Chaehyul, you’re here. Good, alright everyone. Meet me in the conference room in 10, we’ve got a lot of work to do today.” Tashi’s voice spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. She walked away leaving the rest of us.

“I’ll see you there.” Nako smiled at me before running away to find the conference room.

Sitting down at my desk, I placed my coffee on the table before letting all my other stuff fall to the floor. I had a feeling this was gonna be a long day... I thought as I leaned back in my chair with my eyes closed.

___________________________

With 2 minutes until Tashi’s scheduled meeting time, I entered the conference room to find all of the team accounted for except for Tashi herself. The room was your average office room with a big rectangular table in the middle and a huge whiteboard on the wall at the front of the room. At the end of the table towards the windows, Nako sat in between our other coworkers, Kun and Hendery. Hendery was making fun of her for who knows what this time while Kun laid back in his chair staring at the ceiling. Ignoring Hendery and Nako’s sibling like banter, Kun let his eyes trail down to glance at me.

I felt my heart skip a beat as I avoided his gaze, taking the only available seat which was of course right next to him. You would think I’d be comfortable around a coworker who’s been working at this agency for longer than I have, but nope. Things were cool between us once upon a time, but lately it's as if I’ve been walking on eggshells around him. 

The problem was this: about a few months back we had a party just like the one that went on last night only much wilder. It was a birthday party for an agent from the cyber crime unit and they definitely went all out. I got drunk, Kun got drunk, and we somehow ended up having sex. I know, I know, sex with your coworkers is not a good idea but we’re both healthy adults with needs and desires and we were drunk. I tried to act like it meant nothing, it was good but we work in the same building for the same team. It makes sense to cut any ties that would make work life difficult, right?

Kun wasn’t having any of that though. A short time after that, he somehow caught feelings and thought it would be a good idea to confess to me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like him or anything, in fact, I’m not sure how I feel about him. I can’t allow myself to dwell on such a thing, especially because in the end, it doesn’t matter. I can’t be in a relationship with a coworker, it's unprofessional. So I did the only thing I could do: I turned him down. Any kind of relationship we had died at that very moment. We were no longer even friends, just two people who worked for the same organization. We stayed in our own lanes and kept to ourselves unless our paths absolutely had to cross. For work reasons, of course.

Although I felt bad, I refuse to feel guilty for my actions. I did what I thought was best for us. I won’t lie, I miss seeing him smile or hearing his laugh. I wish that night had never happened but it did and there’s nothing I could do to change that. Keeping my gaze glued to the coffee in my hands, Tashi’s entrance broke my train of thought.

“Okay guys, i’ll get straight to the point.” Tashi said, placing some case files on the table. She flipped one open and took out a photo, taping it to the portable bulletin board we have in the room. “Lee Taeyong, we’re all familiar with him right?” The photo on the wall is a mugshot of Taeyong from about two years ago. He looks young in it, you’d never guess he was a criminal.

“The petty crime guy? He’s a little below our pay grade don’t you think?” Hendery spoke up. He’s not wrong, but come to think of it, I haven’t heard about Taeyong in a while. Either he’s been really quiet or has gotten really good at covering his tracks.

“You’d be correct if we were dealing with the old Taeyong, but he’s since had an upgrade.” Tashi responded, slapping an updated photo of Taeyong on the board. The difference was drastic. For starters, it wasn’t a mugshot. Not only had Taeyong lost weight, his features more defined but there was a definite look in his eyes that tells he’s gained some experience. He’s smarter now. That’s probably why we’ve forgotten about him, he makes sure to stay out of trouble. “Somehow between our last arrest and now, Taeyong has sharpened his skills. Maybe he had help or simply just got better. What we do know for sure is that he’s gotten smarter, faster. He knows how to cover his tracks now, knows how to get others to do his dirty work for him and take the fall if caught.”

“Okay, so he’s evolved. That still doesn’t explain why the DEA have a sudden interest in him.” Nako was next to say something. My brain was shuffling around trying to figure out why the DEA would have a sudden interest in Lee Taeyong. I looked up just as a smirk rose on Tashi’s lips.

“You guys are looking at the next big drug lord.” She answered. A gasp left Nako’s lips as Hendery and I stared at Tashi dumbfounded. Kun kept a straight face. Maybe he was already aware of this or was shocked like the rest of us but didn’t wanna let it show on his face.

“How did he go from a petty crime offender to a drug lord?!” Hendery yelled. “There’s no way!”

“He’s not a drug lord, at least not yet. That’s where we come in. We have to take him down before he becomes too big. The last thing we need is another Kang Dongju on our hands. You’re all aware of how difficult it was to take him down. By eliminating Dongju from the game, we made it easy for Taeyong to easily take his place as the next drug lord.” Tashi explained.

“But there’s competition,” Kun’s deep voice startled me as I forgot he was sitting next to me. “Taeyong isn’t the only gang on the map. With Dongju out of the way, multiple gangs will be looking to take the drug lord position. The DEA has been keeping tabs on Kim Hongjoong and his men as well as Bangchan and his men, among other groups. What makes Taeyong so special?” He asked. Damn, well when you put it like that. I can’t expect anything less than a detailed analysis from Kun. After all, he was our research and technology specialist. It's his job to keep track of information like this.

“Yes, but unlike Hongjoong and Bangchan, we haven’t had a connection to their gangs to investigate. They’ve been relatively quiet.” Her response was almost immediate. The local law enforcement recently made an arrest, a kid caught on drug charges. They agreed to let him go if he gave up the name of his dealer-”

“And the dealer was somehow Taeyong? Where’d he get the drugs from?” Hendery cut in.

“Let me finish talking, brat.” The scowl on Tashi’s face was rewarded with Nako’s giggle. Hendery sealed his lips as Tashi continued. “The kid didn’t give up Taeyong, I doubt he even knows who Taeyong is. He did give up the name of someone on the DEA’s person of interest list.” Tashi looked at Kun, the look in her eyes giving him permission to speak.

“Liu Yangyang.” He said,

“The cute Taiwanese guy who sells crack? Again, why is the DEA interested in him?” Hendery groaned.

“Use your brain, idiot. What do we know about Yangyang?” Nako scolded. I decided to speak up for the first time since the meeting started.

“Yangyang was one of Dongju’s drug dealers, as a matter of fact, he was Dongju’s main dealer.” I answered.

“Correct, and since Dongju is now behind bars, Yangyang is out of a job.” Tashi continued.

“The officials made a deal with Yangyang: In exchange for his statement against Dongju, he’d be granted his freedom and so is free to walk away without any connection to dongju or the case.” Kun added.

“So he’s free now. Almost got locked up, you’d think he’d take that as a sign to move on and start a real life.” Hendery cut in.

“Yes, but it's Yangyang.” I responded. “He deals but he also uses what he deals, he’s an addict himself. With Dongju behind bars, who will he get his drugs from? He can’t just go back to living a regular life. He probably doesn’t have the patience for rehab. So his only choice is to find a new dealer.”

“Gangs like Ateez and Stray Kids already have their dealers, they have no use for Yangyang. Gangs like Taeyong’s who are still fairly new are probably still looking for someone they can trust.” Kun said.

“And they trust Yangyang, who gave up Dongju?” Hendery asked.

“I doubt it, but they probably gave him a chance. Maybe they have leverage against him. Who knows. All we do know is that the kid the locals arrested gave up Yangyang’s name and Yangyang freaked out thinking he was being arrested again and gave up Taeyong’s name. Taeyong who the DEA had no interest in until then.” Kun answered.

“Okay so based on the statement of a barely legal kid and a drug addict, we have unreliable information that tells us Lee Taeyong is selling drugs and somehow is running a gang. Can we trust them? Where is Taeyong getting the drugs from? And where did this supposed gang come from? Who are the members? There’s too many questions and not enough answers. We don’t have any information on Taeyong except past charges.” My head was spinning trying to process all the information spewing from my mouth. I had a feeling I knew where this conversation was going.

“Exactly, too many questions and not enough answers. We have no proof of anything and we’re in the dark about pretty much everything. We need more information on Taeyong and his gang but he’s hard to find. Because of this, I’ve been ordered to execute an undercover operation by Director Hyun Lin who approached me last night alongside Hongjin who you are all aware has now retired.” Tashi finally exposed the real reason the meeting was called. Another undercover operation. I wonder who’s going into the field this time. In taking down Dongju, it was mostly Tashi and Hendery who were in the field undercover. Kun stayed in office to keep track of paperwork and research while I also helped in legal works and inter agency communications. Nako stayed in office as well, undering going a probation period since she had just joined the team as a rookie agent.

“Great, I love going undercover. When do I start?” Hendery grinned, flipping his hair. All the girls in the room seemed to roll their eyes at him, including me.

“Not you, I want Chaehyul in the field this time. For now, she’ll be the only one out there.” Tashi said. I wasn’t the only one in shock as I choked on air, Kun surprisingly repeating my actions.

“Why her? Being out in gang territory is dangerous, what if I need her help with all the paperwork?” Kun spoke up through gritted teeth.

“While it’s sweet that you’re looking out for her, Chaehyul is a trained field agent with plenty of experience.” Tashi responded. I cringed as I felt my cheeks heat up for the millionth time today. Kun is so embarrassing, what is he doing? He can’t care about me this much, not after everything. So why is he being so protective? “Hendery and I were both exposed when we went undercover for Dongju, Yangyang already knows us too. If Yangyang is really Taeyong’s new dealer, that means Taeyong looked into Dongju’s case and therefore, Hendery and I might have already been exposed to him. I need Kun here in the office and since Nako’s still new, she has no experience out in the field and I don’t want her first time out there being so important. Nako will stay here in the office and help Kun with the paperwork and communications. I will also be here to monitor all the work done and to update the Director with any new information on the case. That leaves Chaehyul, she’s the only one who can do this.” Tashi looked into my eyes. “No pressure, of course.”

Right, no pressure. I was practically dying on the inside. There was no way I could make contact with Taeyong so soon, I’d only give off suspicion and blow my cover. I would have to slowly make my way up the chain to be someone with even the slightest bit of importance in order to make contact with Taeyong. Because of this alone, I can already tell this is going to be a long operation.

“What’s her assignment going to look like?” Nako asked, out of curiosity.

“Chaehyul will be given a new identity and stripped of her current one for the duration of the operation.” Tashi looked at me once again. “You’ll have a new driver’s license, ID, a new job, a new house, everything.”

“Sounds pretty extreme for a guy as petty as Taeyong.” Hendery scoffed.

“We can’t take any chances. We don’t know anything about Taeyong anymore, we have to assume he adopted a whole new personality. We don’t know how far into a background check he’ll do. We can’t let anyone find out that Chaehyul is a law enforcement officer, let alone a DEA agent. That’ll ruin the entire operation. Chaehyul needs a new identity for this mission. Everything is still in the works, this is only the first meeting. We have plenty of time to prepare before we execute the plan.” Tashi told him.

“How does it start? What’s the plan?” Nako asked.

“In a month from now, it will be Taeyong’s birthday. Thanks to Yangyang, we know when and where Taeyong will be having a birthday party. Yangyang will act as a double agent, working for Taeyong as a drug dealer and working for us as an informant. The birthday party is invitation only, Yangyang will get us an invitation for Chaehyul. We have from now until the birthday party to set Chaehyul up in her new home with her new identity. For now, all we need is for Chaehyul to lay low and gather as much information as she can. Who are the other gang members? Is taeyong selling drugs? Stuff like that, anything at all. I don’t expect her to make contact with Taeyong right away. This will mark the beginning of another long undercover operation. Anymore questions?” Tashi informs. We all either shake our heads no or mumble no. “Good, class is adjourned.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story is up on Wattpad. Both stories will be updated at the same time if you would rather read on there than here. My user is @/fairlymarco


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